


This Situation's Becoming Dire

by ChemicalStardust



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Childhood Friends, Comfort, Confessions, Crossover, Gen, Honesty, Normal Life, Overthinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 22:24:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14122125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChemicalStardust/pseuds/ChemicalStardust
Summary: Lucas can count on Ness. He has ever since they were children. They've spent so much time in the forest that it's become a safe haven to them. One day, Lucas lets his thoughts get the best of him, and Ness is there to remind him that everything will be okay.





	This Situation's Becoming Dire

**Author's Note:**

> reupload from my old account. based on the song "Forest" by Twenty One Pilots.

Soft sunlight shone through the treetops above, leaves swaying in the breeze. The gentle song of a bird echoed throughout the forest in perfect harmony. A young boy sat beneath one of these massive trees, admiring the beautiful grove he had come to know and love.

The boy sighed lightly as he laid his head back. He was still waiting on his best friend to arrive so they could resume their usual activities together. He kept thinking about how much this forest meant to the two of them. This was where they had first met when they were children, and they had been inseparable ever since. They were the kings of this woodland kingdom, claiming an old abandoned tree house as their castle. So many adventures had occurred in this land of theirs. Memories flooded back to him, and he soon felt his heart grow heavy. It seemed as if the older they got, the less meaningful the adventures were. Their lives differed greatly at age 13 than at age 7. They were growing up, and nothing could be done to stop that. He felt as though all the innocence and purity had been lost, and a part of him didn’t want to know what was in store for the future.

“Lucas!”

The boy broke from his thoughts as he heard a familiar voice call out to him. He sat up and turned his body to see his best friend, Ness, waving at him from afar. He smiled and waved back. Ness began to run as he made his way towards the blonde. Lucas took notice of him as he got closer. He was wearing his signature red and blue baseball cap, sporting a dark blue and yellow striped shirt, much like the red and yellow one Lucas had always worn. As Ness approached him, his breathing was heavy and sweat was dripping down his face.

“Hey! I’m really sorry I’m late, baseball practice ended up being extended and then I had to make my way to the store to get milk.” Ness’ words came out shaky as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

“No, it’s completely okay. I understand that you’ve made a commitment to something you love.” Lucas rubbed his hand on a patch of moss that was growing on the tree trunk.

“I take it that you’ve been here for a while now. Have you gone to the tree house yet?” Ness looked around.

Lucas shook his head. “I was waiting for you so we could go together.”

“Well, I’m here now, so why don’t we get moving?” Ness asked as he extended his hand out to Lucas, who was still sitting on the ground.

“Oh, yeah, of course.” Lucas grabbed Ness’ hand and pulled himself up off the forest floor. The two turned around and began to make their way to the tree house.

Ness talked a lot while they were walking. He kept going on about what had happened at baseball practice earlier. Apparently one of his teammates had gotten their foot stuck in the fence and it took the whole team nearly 45 minutes to free them, hence why Ness had run a bit late. He then began to describe a fight he saw break out at the store between a hippie and a gang member. Lucas did his best to listen, however he kept falling deep into thought that would result in Ness being blocked out. He hadn’t said a word while they walked because he didn’t know what to talk about without saying too much. Ness was the person Lucas trusted the most in the world, and he told him things he would never tell anyone. Ness knew things that not even his twin brother Claus knew. Lucas never told Claus about why the forest meant so much to him. His brother knew that he spent a lot of time there, as did his mother and father, but they never asked why it was so special. Lucas was convinced that they didn’t even know of Ness’ existence.

Lucas shook his head slightly. He was still really confused. He could count on Ness, he has ever since the day they met. Why couldn’t he bring himself to admit his thoughts?

“So, yeah, I'd say I had a pretty questionable day.” Ness’ closing sentence brought Lucas back to reality. He didn’t hear about 80% of what the other boy said, but he still tried to make it seem like he had been paying attention the whole time.

“I think you did. Is there any day in Onett where something weird doesn’t happen?”

Ness shrugged. “I don’t know. In all honesty, I’d rather live in Tazmily.”

“Wait, really?” Lucas blinked at the statement Ness had made about his home village. “Nothing ever happens there though.”

“That’s why I would want to live there. It’s quiet and peaceful. Everything you tell me about your village sounds absolutely wonderful. Too much happens in Onett, and I need a break from it.” His eyes shifted upward. “That’s why I come here, you know? It’s like a safe haven. I can escape from reality for a while and hang out with you.”

“Yeah, this really is the only place you and I can come to and do whatever we want. It's as if we don’t have a care in the world.” Lucas said, forcing a small smile.

Ness laughed slightly. “Definitely true. I mean, we are the kings of this forest, right? We’ve practically owned this land ever since we were children.” He lightly elbowed Lucas in the shoulder.

“Haha, yeah.” Lucas let out a nervous laugh. He was still so conflicted, why couldn’t he just tell Ness what was on his mind? How come he’s been able to trust him for so long and now he can’t even look him in the eye?

“Hey, we’re here!” Ness lit up as he ran towards the wooden home sitting in one of the largest trees in the forest. Lucas trailed behind him slowly, his gaze shifting towards the direction of the sky.

_There it was._

The boys smiled as they took notice of the wooden hut sitting amongst the treetops. This was their home, their fortress, the place they’ve cherished ever since they were kids. Nobody would ever understand how much the tree house meant to them.

“Lucas, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!” Ness called out, running past the blonde as he made his way towards the ladder hanging from one of the branches.

“Oh, right, I’m coming!” Lucas followed along, slowly trailing behind his friend. They made their way up the ladder, both holding on tight. Ness opened up the door on the bottom, pushing himself up. He then placed his hand out to Lucas and helped him in, making sure he didn’t lose his balance.

“It’s great to be back, isn’t it? It feels like forever since we’ve been in here.” Ness glanced around, admiring all the work he and Lucas had put into the tree house over all those years.

“Yeah, it has felt like forever.” Lucas’ voice grew quiet as he repeated Ness’ statement. It hurt to know that the two weren’t spending as much time together as before. Ness always seemed to be so busy with baseball, and Lucas hated going alone because he felt that his time in the forest wouldn’t be as special if he didn’t have anyone with him. He thought about asking Claus to join him on his adventures, but Claus wasn’t appreciative of the forest the way Lucas was. Like Ness had said, the forest was almost like a safe haven to both of them, and he felt that his brother wouldn’t understand that.

Lucas tried blocking out his thoughts again. He watched as Ness placed his backpack over in the corner, right underneath the 'Property of Ness and Lucas' message they had carved into the wall. The entire place was littered with items that belonged to the boys. There were a few baseballs around the room, and on the floor were the remains of the sunflower crowns Lucas was continuously trying to succeed in making. He smiled as he sat down on one of the cushions near the wall.

Ness made his way over to the giant hole in the wall that was their window. He leaned against its sill, taking in the scenery. The weather wasn’t very different from how it normally is in late May; it was warm, sunny, and breezy. The leaves rustled above them as the wind blew, sending out a peaceful vibe.

“God, I’ve missed this.” Ness smiled as he continued to scan the woods. Lucas leaned against the wall as he watched his friend enjoy the scenery.

“Yeah, I have too.” Lucas responded as Ness turned around.

“So, what do feel like doing today?” The raven haired boy wandered over to where his backpack was.

Lucas shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. Is there anything you want to do?”

Ness thought about it for a minute. “I don’t really know. If I'm gonna be honest, I didn’t have anything planned.” He turned around and made his way to Lucas, taking a seat on the cushion next to him.

“Well, we don’t have to do anything in particular. We could just sit and talk.” Lucas offered, not knowing what else to say.

“Yeah, that sounds nice. We could do a bit of catching up. What do you want to talk about?” Ness turned to look at his friend.

_Everything, _Lucas thought. He still had so much on his mind, yet he had no idea how he could start a conversation with Ness about it. The thoughts in his head were racing so fast, he didn’t know where to begin.__

__“Um, can I ask you a question?” Lucas said, immediately regretting it after._ _

__“Of course.” Ness tilted his head to the side._ _

_Great, now I have to say something._ Lucas sighed, trying to come up with a random question. He turned to face Ness. “Does it...ever bother you to know that someone else has your name?”

__

__

__Ness sat up, a look of confusion on his face. “I’m not really sure what you mean.”_ _

__“Well, we’re all told from a young age that every single one of us is unique and special, but how can we believe that if we all don’t have different names? I mean, our names make up a big part of who we are, yet we don’t even get to decide them. I know there are more people out there with the name Lucas, and I guarantee you someone else has the name Ness.”_ _

__Ness blinked, completely unsure of what his friend had just said. “I mean, I get where you’re coming from, but what does this have to do with anything?”_ _

__Lucas sighed. “I don’t know, Ness. I really don’t know anymore. The thing is, I’ve had a lot on my mind recently. Maybe too much. I have no idea what it is at this point.” He folded his knees and pulled them in closer to him. "I've been wanting to speak up and explain how I feel, but I know people are only going to hear me instead of actually listening to what I have to say."_ _

__A wave of fear crashed over Ness. This wasn’t Lucas’ normal thought process, and if he feels like this, then something is up. He tells Ness everything, and he wouldn’t lie about something like this. He spoke up, “If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly are the thoughts on your mind right now?”_ _

__The blonde boy turned to look at his friend again. “It’s just...all this.” He stood up and made his way towards the center of the tree house. “I feel like this place isn’t the same anymore. It certainly isn’t the way it was when we were children. To me, it feels like the older we get, the less meaningful this place becomes. Like all of the innocent childhood memories are slipping away from us.” Lucas shifted his body back to the wall where Ness was sitting. “These days we barely spend any time here together. I know you’re occupied with baseball and other things, and I completely respect that, but I hate being away from here for so long. I don’t want to lose this place, because if I do, I feel like I’m gonna lose you as well.”_ _

__Ness was speechless. He didn’t realize how much was on Lucas’ mind. The boy was still unsure what to say. Lucas wasn't going to lose him, he wouldn’t leave him for the world. Ness did realize that they weren’t hanging out as much as before, and he felt extremely guilty of that. The last thing he would ever want to do is let Lucas down. He stood up and slowly began to make his way towards his friend, who noticed he was heading in his direction._ _

__“Ness, I’m sorry. It’s just that the two of us are growing older and we can't do anything to stop that. I have no idea what’s in store for the future, all I know is that I’m terrified.” Lucas was on the verge of tears._ _

__Ness didn’t respond. He approached the blonde, who was still facing in the other direction. He gently placed a hand on Lucas’ shoulder, causing him to turn around._ _

__“Hey, listen to me, okay? I know you’re scared, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Believe me, I’m scared too.” He gave his friend a comforting smile. “Lucas, I promise that no matter what happens, I’m not going to leave you. We’ve been with each other ever since we were 7, and it’s going to stay that way. I know we haven’t been spending as much time here, and I do feel guilty about that, so why don’t we make a deal? Every two days at 5 o’clock, we meet here. I’ll work it out around my baseball schedule. And remember, if you ever need anything from me and we can’t meet here, just call me, alright? I’ll be there.”_ _

__Lucas blinked back tears as he took in his friend’s word. He felt bad for doubting himself, yet he knew he was right for trusting Ness. He smiled, and without thinking wrapped his arms around his friend. Ness was a bit startled at first, but then smiled even bigger, returning the hug._ _

__“Thank you.” Lucas still had his face in Ness’ shoulder. “This means everything to me.”_ _

“You’re my best friend, Lucas. I wanna be there for you in any way I can.”

__

__

The two stayed like that for a minute, eventually pulling away. Ness, still smiling, walked to where his backpack was sitting.

”So, do you wanna stop by the meadow and pick some sunflowers? I know how much you like those.”

__

__

Lucas nodded. “I’d love that.”

__“Well alright then, let’s go!” Ness threw on his backpack and opened the trapdoor. He began to climb down, Lucas right behind him. The two made their way to the ground and began walking, still admiring the woodland kingdom that would forever belong to them._ _


End file.
